title: Solving a methodological challenge in work stress evaluation with the Stress Assessment and Research Toolkit (StART): a study protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stress evaluation is a field of strong interest and challenging due to several methodological aspects in the evaluation process. The aim of this study is to propose a study protocol to test a new method (i.e., the Stress Assessment and Research Toolkit) to assess psychosocial risk factors at work.
  
  
  METHODS
  This method addresses several methodological issues (e.g., subjective vs. objective, qualitative vs quantitative data) by assessing work-related stressors using different kinds of data: i) organisational archival data (organisational indicators sheet); ii) qualitative data (focus group); iii) worker perception (questionnaire); and iv) observational data (observational checklist) using mixed methods research. In addition, it allows positive and negative aspects of work to be considered conjointly, using an approach that considers at the same time job demands and job resources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The integration of these sources of data can reduce the theoretical and methodological bias related to stress research in the work setting, allows researchers and professionals to obtain a reliable description of workers' stress, providing a more articulate vision of psychosocial risks, and allows a large amount of data to be collected. Finally, the implementation of the method ensures in the long term a primary prevention for psychosocial risk management in that it aims to reduce or modify the intensity, frequency or duration of organisational demands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna 40127, Italy. michela.vignoli@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guglielmi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simbula
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vignoli
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Depolo
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonfiglioli
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tabanelli
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Violante